British > American Glossary | G
Smoothing and improving transatlantic communication
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P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Americanisms |
 British
term or expression |
 American
equivalent, or explanation |
|---|---|
| gaff [colloq.] | somebody's house or home |
| gaffer [colloq.] | foreman, boss |
| gallery (highest floor in theatre with cheapest seats) | balcony |
| gallon (1 imperial gallon = 4.55 litres) | gallon (1 U.S. gallon = 3.79 liters) |
| galoshes | rubbers |
| gammon | cured ham |
| gangway | aisle |
| gaol [old-fashioned] | jail |
| garage drive | driveway |
| garden, back garden | yard, backyard |
| garden path | front walk |
| gardening leave | paid leave when not allowed to work or start new job |
| gas cooker | gas stove |
| gasper [slang] | cigarette |
| gateau | rich layer cake with cream and perhaps fruit |
| gawp [colloq.] (stare in a rude or stupid manner) | gawk |
| gauze (on tripod over Bunsen burner in science lab) | wire mesh screen |
| gazump (v.) [colloq.] | renege on promise to sell property at a previously agreed price after receiving a better offer from somebody else |
| gear lever | gearshift;
stick shift (if manual transmission); gear changer (on a bicycle) |
| gearing (ratio of loan capital to share capital) | leverage |
| geezer [slang] | male person, often elderly or in some way unusual |
| gelly (also 'jelly') [slang] | gelignite |
| general practitioner (or GP) | community doctor of the first instance |
| gen up on something [slang] | get general details about something |
| Geordie [colloq.] | native of Tyneside
in northeast England; the Tyneside local accent |
| get itchy feet [colloq.] | get wanderlust (a stong urge to travel) |
| get one's cards [colloq.] | be dismissed from one's job |
| get the push [colloq.] (be told to leave one's job) | get fired [colloq.] |
| get
your knickers in a twist [colloq.] (become agitated over something) |
get your panties in a knot [colloq.] |
| Get stuffed! [slang] | Go to hell! |
| geyser | gas-powered domestic water heater |
| git [slang] (as in 'You lying, thieving git!') | skunk; unpleasant, contemptible person |
| give someone a lift | give someone a ride |
| give someone a ring (telephone) | give someone a call |
| give someone the elbow [colloq.] | abruptly end a relationship or romance |
| give someone the push [colloq.] | dismiss someone from their job |
| give someone their cards [colloq.] | dismiss someone from their job |
| give way (road sign) | yield |
| glasses (spectacles) | eyeglasses |
| glasses case | eyeglass case |
| glasshouse | greenhouse |
| go down a treat | be enjoyable and well received |
| go into administration (help for insolvent company) | file for bankruptcy protection |
| go-slow (union work-to-rule to push wage claim) | slowdown |
| go to the cinema, go to the flicks or pictures [colloq.] | go to a movie theater, go to the movies |
| go up the wooden hill to Bedforshire [colloq.] | go upstairs to bed |
| gob [slang] (as in 'Shut your gob, mush!') | trap [slang], mouth |
| gobstopper
(very large round hard sweet, often with layers of different colours) |
jawbreaker |
| goggle-box [colloq.] | the tube, the boob tube [both slang], TV set |
| gold
top (gold-coloured foil cap on a 1-pint bottle of milk; see also silver top) |
full-cream milk of the kind delivered to British homes |
| golden syrup | pale, golden colored syrup |
| gong [colloq.] | medal or decoration for public service |
| good job (as in 'It's a good job he left') | fortunate state of affairs |
| goods lorry | freight truck |
| goods train | freight train |
| goods wagon/waggon (enclosed type) | boxcar |
| goods wagon/waggon (open, flat-bottomed type) | gondola |
| goolies [slang] (testicles) | balls [slang] |
| goon | jerk
[slang], half-wit, silly or foolish person |
| goose pimples | goose bumps |
| Gordon Bennett! [exclamation] | Holy smoke! |
| gormless [colloq.] | unintelligent, dim-witted |
| governor,
the
[slang]; guvnor, guv [form of address] |
ones's
employer or person in position of authority; used instead of 'sir' by one feeling socially inferior |
| graduate (n.) | U.K student with basic university or college degree |
| graduate (v.) | leave university or college with a first degree |
| graduation ceremony | commencement |
| graft [colloq.] | work or toil |
| grafter [colloq.] | hard worker |
| grammar school | UK high school emphasizing academic study rather than practical skills |
| gramophone | phonograph |
| grass [colloq.] (informer, esp. police informer) | fink [colloq.]; |
| grass on somebody [slang] | squeal on somebody |
| grass verge (strip of land bordering road, path or flowerbed) |
shoulder |
| greaseproof paper |
parchment, parchment paper; waxed paper, wax paper |
| green
fingers (as in 'she's got green fingers', meaning she's good at gardening) |
green thumb (as in 'she has a green thumb') |
| greengrocer('s), greengrocery | fruit and vegetable store |
| greetings card | greeting card |
| Gretna Green, run away to | elope |
| grill (n.) (type at top of oven) | broiler |
| grill (v.) | broil on a grill;
fry or toast on a griddle |
| grotty | unpleasant; dirty, shabby |
| ground floor | first floor |
| groundsman (looks after sports ground, park, etc.) | groundskeeper |
| group captain (Royal Air Force) | colonel (U.S. Air Force) |
| guard (on a train) | conductor |
| guard's van (on a train) | caboose |
| gubbins | collection of unimportant objects or paraphernalia; gadgetry needed for performing a specific task; silly, simple-minded person or simpleton |
| guillotine (office tool) | paper cutter |
| gym shoe | sneaker |
| gymslip | plain tunic worn over girl's school uniform shirt |
| gypsy's
[from rhyming slang 'gypsy's kiss' for 'piss'] (as in 'I'm just going out for a gypsy's' to express an immediate need to urinate) |
pee, piddle [colloq.] |
